


Infernal Affairs

by WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken



Series: Fallen Angels [5]
Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-14 02:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20184634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken/pseuds/WhyAreAllThePenNamesTaken
Summary: A face from the past comes back to ruin everything, so Kensi has to go to work to fix it.





	Infernal Affairs

Kensi was sitting at her desk, reviewing an LAPD Gang Task Force Report. Sam and Callen were out of the office, running down a witness statement from an investigation. Kensi didn’t hear Nell coming down the stairs until she was right next to the desk.

"Hey Kensi"

"Yeah Nell."

"Bates called. He wants to see you."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No. Just that you should come down to his office.”

"How's the gun tracing coming along?"

"It’s been three weeks. Overwatch is still active. The weapons are all still at the safehouse. And all we've got on the camera is the same few soldiers. No top guys. "

"I don't think there ever will be. We should hit the address before this blows up in our face."

Nell nodded. "Or Overwatch wears out. Tell Granger."

"I will."

Kensi closed the file and placed it on top of one of the pile of others. Then she picked up her keys and headed for the door.

*

Kensi walked into the brick building that housed the LAPD Undercover Unit. There were a pair of very obviously police unmarked cars in the parking lot, which wasn't at all like Bates or his people. She headed up to the second floor.

"This is bullshit," yelled a voice.

"Step back," shouted Rivera. Kensi wondered what that bitch was doing here. Probably back to ruin everything.

"Screw you," the voice said in a quieter, though more venomous, tone.

"That's enough Bernhart," Bates barked.

Kensi walked into the hallway. Bernhart and Rivera were facing off next to a very uncomfortable looking Detective Brown holding a handcuffed Bates.

Kensi turned to Rivera. "What the hell is this?"

“Step back Agent Blye.”

“I'm not stepping back until you tell me what's going on?”

“I'm doing my job, that's all you need to know.”

Kensi was about to go again when Bates stepped in. “That’s enough.” He turned to Bernhart. “Both of you.” Kensi could see the sour, defeated expressions on the faces of Bates' team. An expression that almost certainly matched her own. Kensi stepped back.

Rivera led Bates and Brown towards the stairwell.

Kensi turned to Bernhart. "You okay?

Bernhart let out a breath. "Yeah, what are you doing here?"

"Bates called, I thought it was about Deeks."

"He said I should call you, said you owed him."

"I do. What do we know?"

“Rivera's back to ruin everything. She seems to have something on Bates.”

“We should go to the head of the stream.”

“Rivera’s not going to let us just walk in.”

Kensi smiled. “I have an idea about that.”

*

Kensi and Bernhart followed Mickey Haller towards the interrogation room. Brown was standing post outside. He saw them coming, turned and knocked on the door. Rivera came out, and he face curdled when she saw who the visitors were.

“You can come in, they cannot.”

“They're my paralegals.”

Rivera scoffed. “Paralegals, really.”

Haller cocked his head slightly to the side. “You’re really going to deny my client access to his full legal representation, Detective. Can't imagine that'll look very good. Could even result in a lawsuit.”

Rivera’s face was displaying some unholy combination of fury and disgust, but she stepped aside.

Bates looked up as they walked in. “God, I hope I'm not on the clock with all three of you.”

“We've got all the guys working on getting you out of here boss,” said Bernhart. “Anyone we can talk to?”

“I don’t have any favours left, I spent them all keeping your former partner out of jail. Besides no one with the power to stop Rivera is going to want to touch me. It’s a stink that doesn't wash off."

"You went out on a limb for Deeks," said Kensi.

"Which only makes things worse as far as Rivera's concerned."

“What was Rivera looking for?"

"From what I heard, it's an extension of her investigation into Hodges. Who he was working with, that sort of thing. She hasn't gotten far. Clearly."

"Do you know what it's about?”

"Every department has rumours. NYPD has HR, the Met has Counterpoint, LAPD has the Wise Men, some guys who run a network of dirty cops."

“We’ll run these guys down,” said Bernhart.

“They’ve been around for twenty years. You won’t even be the first person to try to take them down today.”

“Yeah,” said Kensi. “But they’ve never had to deal with me.”

*

Kensi was waiting in the parking building brought his motorbike to a standstill. He took off his helmet and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

Deeks didn’t pull back very far and his hand slid down to link with hers. “Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what's going on?”

“Bates has been arrested.”

“What, what for?

“Rivera says that he’s the senior officer that protected Hodges.”

“That doesn't make any sense. They're in completely different chains of command.”

“Bates can be an asshole, but he's not dirty.” His eyes flicked down and away. Kensi took his cheek as gently as she could until he raised his eyes to her.

“None of that, okay.” Deeks nodded. “Do you know anything above Hodges?”

“Samuels, my old sergeant, was the only one who ever talked about getting the green light from the Wise Men. I don't know who they are, then or now."

“At least we've confirmed they exist, its a start.”

“I've gotta keep moving. Thornhill is expecting me.”

“Okay, I'll see you later.”

Deeks smirked. “You will.” As he straddled the motorcycle, she grabbed his jacket and pulled him in for another deeper kiss. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. “I love you.”

Kensi smiled softly. “Great.”

Kensi walked back over to her car and got in. Bernhart was waiting.

“Your CI?”

“Yeah.” She looked at him. She wasn't sure why, maybe daring him to take it further.

After a moment, Bernhart said “get anything?”

“Other than confirmation that the Wise Men exist, no.”

“You have a plan.”

“We could ask Hodges.”

“He’s been locked up for six months, what makes you think he’s going to talk now.”

“He might not, but it’s been six months since someone asked him.”

*

San Quentin hadn't been kind to Hodges. He was gaunt, there were new scars on his cheekbones. He hadn't had a good time, even in protective custody.

He took one looks at them and said, “go to hell.”

“Listen Hodges.”

“Go to hell.” Hs turned to the door and shouted “Guard!”

Nothing happened.

Kensi smiled. Plan B then.

“Now, if you're not going to talk you can listen. Run this up your dirtbag chain of command. Bates is not going down to cover their backs. I am not going to stop until I find who it was that was really protecting you. If they give them up, that'll be the end of it. You might even get something for yourself. But jerk me around and you and all your wise men buddies will be slumming it in gen pop together.” She glanced past him at the door. “Guard!” The door buzzed open. She pointed her hand at the door. “You can go now.”

Hodges made a disbelieving face at Bernhart. “You heard the lady,” the detective said.

The prisoner left. Kensi and Bernhart walked to the control room.

“How are we looking.”

The guard captain looked over from the bank of monitors. “Hodges is almost back in his cell. We have the microphone turned on, but the light’s killed so he won't know we're listening.”

Kensi nodded and called Ops on a desk phone. “Talk to me Eric.”

“We’ll be able to pinpoint the caller’s number and location, but we won't be able to listen into the call.”

“You're sure this will work,” said the guard captain.

“A rat always runs for cover in times of danger. Right now, Hodges is almost certainly panicking,” said Kensi, as she pulled a set of headphones over her ears. In her head, she could hear Deeks freaking out over transmitted bacteria. The idiot.

There was a shuffling sound in the cell

"Sounds like its in the desk," said the guard captain.

"Don't confiscate it until we close this case," said Bernhart.

Kensi shushed them both and pressed the earphones closer to her head.

There was a snap of a flip phone opening.

"Yeah, they're looking for you. Be careful."

There was a moment's pause. "Brunette, Agent Blye, plus some scruffy blonde puke. Probably LAPD. Keep an eye out."

Another pause "Of course I didn't tell them anything. What do you think I am?"

The phone snapped shut. "Suka."

Kensi pulled her headphones off.

"That's it?" Bernhart asked.

"Is it enough Eric?"

"I triangulated the phone to a building at the port. I'm looking for camera footage now. We might get lucky." He didn't sound optimistic.

"Where exactly at the port?" asked Bernhart, a wary edge in his voice.

"This building." Eric pulled up a google satellite photo of the port with one of the building's marked.

Bernhart glanced at the guard captain. "We'd better head back."

Kensi thanked the captain. She and Bernhart didn't speak until they were outside the wire and back in her car.

"That building is the headquarters of the Gang Task Force," said Bernhart. "Makes sense, the have pretty high clearance, but it would have to be a high-ranking officer to have the pull to cross divisions."

"Like the Commander?"

"This is high jingo."

"High jingo?"

"The place where police and politics meets. We want to make this stick, we're going to need a hell of a lot more than metadata on a call. And we need to be careful."

"Okay, we'll take it slow, but we can't let Bates swing."

"The commander is a guy named Mendoza, he's State Police. He made the headlines a few years back when some cartel guys offered him a piece of the action to look the other way, he worked undercover for six months to take down their entire border operation."

"So it’s probably not him."

"You sure?"

"I know what you want to be thinking, but if he were garnishing his rep as cover, he would have just turned them in, taken the easy win. He's a believer. He's not the guy."

"The deputy commander is Hopkins. She came up through a different division from Hodges, but that doesn't mean much. The Wise Men are supposed to be pretty embedded."

Kensi called Eric. "Have you still got a lock on the phone."

"Yeah, it hasn't moved so far. I'm also trying to hack in, see if we can get some more data, but its probably a burner."

"If the target's smart, they'll use this specific phone for Hodges and other phones for everyone else. Nell can you pull the cell towers around the port, look for other burners?"

"On it."

"Must be nice to have all that sweet federal money."

"You have no idea."

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome.


End file.
